Production of looped textile threads and yarns



/K. F. SEIM Sept. 3, 1940.

PRODUCTION OF LOOPI ZD TEXTILE THREADS AND YARNS Filed Dec. 13, 1937 10 sheef sesheet 1 Sept. 3, 1940.

K. F. SElM PRODUCTION OF LOOPED TEXTILE THREADS AND YARNS 10 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 12.

Filed Dec.- 13, 193'? Fig. 11

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Sept. 3, 1940. K, SEI M 7 2,213,720

PRODUCTION LOOPED TEXTILE THREADS AND YARNS Filed Dec. 13. 1937 19 Sheets-Sheet 4 K. F. SEIM Sept. 3, 1940.

PRODUCTION OF LOOPED TEXTILE THREADS AND YARNS I 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 1:5,' 193'! Fig. 23.

Fig. 22.

Sept. 3, 1940. I K. F. SEIM 2,213,720

PRODUCTION OF LOOPED TEXTILE THREADS AND YARNS Filed Dec. 13, 1937 10 Sheets-Sheet 6 Fig. 30.

Se t. 3, 1940.

K. F. SElM PRODUCTION OF LOOPED TEXTILE THREADS AND YARNS Filed Dec. 13, 193'? 10 Sheets-Sheet 7 Fig. 32.

K. F. SEIM Sept. 3, 1940.

PRODUCTION OF LOOPED TEXTILE 'II-IREADS AND YARNS File d Dec. 13, 1937 10 Sheets-Sheet 3 HI 7//////h K. F. SEIM Sept. 3, 1940.

Filed Dec. 13, 19-37 10 Sheets-Sheet 9 fig. 3.9.

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K. F. SEIM Sept. 3, 1940..

PRODUCTION OF LOOPED TEXTILE THREADS AND YARNS 10 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed Dec. 13, 1937 Patented Sept. 3, 1940 UNITED STATES PRODUCTION or more!) TEXTILE THREADS AND mums Karl Franz Seim, Dresden, Germany, assignor of one-half to Theodor Lowenberg, Berlin, Ger-l i many Application December 13, 1937, Serial No. 179,579 In Germany December 14, 1936 18 Claims.

This invention relates to the production of looped textile threads or yarns and constitutes an improvement of my copending application Ser. No. 95,333 filed Aug. 11, 1936, now Patent The present invention resides in a method according to which there is led to the looped thread 2 to be producedone or more than one thread which may be looped with the looped thread or may be run through it as a thread base.

There may also be led to the looped thread fibers or other loose material in such a manner that such material is securely bound into the looped thread.

Controlled thread brakes may be provided for effecting different tensioning relationships between threads guided to different needles in order that threads composed of loops of difierent sizes can be produced. r

In order to attain an increase in working speed over that attainable by the constructions described in the prior specification, the needle which reciprocates lengthwise of its axis is provided with a vibrationless high-speed drive of which the moving masses are reduced to a minlmum. The drive acts directly on the needles.

Between the drive and the needles there is suitably interposed a vibration-absorbing resilient connection, which is connected on the one hand to a balanced crank and on the other hand to a coupling-pin, which is connected to a needle support working in a bearing or the like. Vibrations manifest themselves at high speeds and areengaged with continuous surety. As dis fitinguished from the swinging or oscillating thread-guides described by way of -examplein the prior specification, the'present invention provides for use of a thread guide which moves up and down'and which 111mm the threads in 5 the needle from above.- Itis also practicable, by

means of a pendulous thread guide, to insert-the threads 'sidewise inthe needle; Further; with certain threads, it is also practicable-to have stationarily fixed'thread guides; the arrangement being' suchfthat the threadslcom'ing irom-the (o1. 66 1) I 4 spools or the like are engaged with continuous surety by the receding needle book 1 The thread guides, where movable, are adjustable to suit the threads to be worked upon and they are of'balanced construction and as light as possible, in order to minimise the mass ofthe moving parts. Thread-guide and needle are operated by the same driving'parts 'so that accurate timing of the speed offboth elements canbe readily attained. p c l p Between the thread-supply means on the one hand and thethreadguide on the other hand thread brakes, or drag devices, can beinterposed, and these may be composed'mainly of spring- 5 pressed brake discs between which the thread slips. By increasing or decreasing the s'pring stress and thus correspondinglythe threadften sion, the binding-in relationships, canbe reg i 'lated as, desired. The spring, pressure can: be

automatically subjected to periodic alteration by one or more, than one thread-brake. i For this purpose, there can befprovided in connection with the spool orlike thread-supplymeansa'cain which, according to its, shape, issubjectedfto periodic spring pressure in order to tensio n the thread, and at other'times leaves the thread free. The result of this is that the oth'er'fthreads which are being led tojthe sameineedle, vand which are under no tension, become formed i'ntoirregularly spaced large or small loops. I By virtue of the bindingin 'de'vices thread" structures can be produced which are practically unlimited as regards-pattern. Thus, one-can produce for example a single loopedzthread. or .a plurality of looped threads-which are, under the 3 same or difierent :tensions.- One or;mo re;additional threads can also be inserted in the looped thread, and these may constitute ==looped.-in threads or they may constitute a thread basepr core extending through the looped thread. fqon- {10 veniently, the first sort of threads may be termed binding threads, whilst the second s ort maybe termed foundation?threads! The individual threads of this thread structure may be led to the needle under"uniiorm or variable tensionis ali The advantage of the thread structure com- "posed of binding and foundation threadsr esids not only in wide possibilities "as regards patternthe basic thread strength; is :1 not r:.sextupled (2 3=6) bythe looping operation butemerely loop is formed-bydrawing a-threa'd through-a thread ends.

noose located on the shank of a needle and comprising an advancing and a receding portion a completed loop on being cut through transversely to the direction of the thread will disclose three If a foundation thread is worked into a binding thread whose individual loops each comprise three thread portions, four thread ends will be produced on cutting the thread structure Further, in carrying out the improved method, I

one can obtain narrow or wide loops as desired. Further, rubber threads, metal threads and other threads diflicult to work with can be bound-in- I without tension. Yarns difficult to spin or new sorts of yarns of little internal substance can be looped-in, for example with an artificial silk thread, without subjecting it to severe treatment. Greatly increased tensile strength can be obtained according to the method adopted, and to a certain extent, working is made possible for the first time by the improved method.

Since the binding thread closely embraces the foundation thread owing to looping, the binding thread draws itself into the foundation thread whenever the looped thread is pulled and high tensile strength is thus manifested. In use of art ificial silk, genuine silk or wool-crepe-silk as the foundation thread or as the binding thread, the

improved method can be performed in a single I cycle of operations to produce all the variations of boucl, the effect of which can be further enhanced if different kinds (e. g. viscose or acetate) or differently colored threads are-used as foundation or binding threads. Further, threads or strands of different kinds and thicknesses'can be embodied in the foundation and binding threads.

By introducing further binding-thread guide and further foundation-thread guides the thread structure can be varied as desired. The foundation-thread guides and one or more bindingthread guides work in timed correlationship under the controlof a cam drum or of a patterning or chain device known per se. According to the I setting of'the pattern control means, the foundation threads -for examplecan 'be forced to lie crosswise'in one or more of the loops of the binding thread, or in use of a single base or core the loops of both binding threads lie around a'single' foundation thread. .Further, a plurality of bind- 'the time being. The needle and thread guides necessary for the production of any required thread structure are replaceably assembled in a Accordingly, such,

drumlike housing, noiseless and vibrationless working of the moving parts being obtainable.

' The driving mechanism incorporates a rotary double-cam drum which are provided with cam parts for driving the guide rods for the needles. The cam parts are so constructed that atv each revolution of the drum the guide rods are twice moved to and fro, whereby noiselessness and freedom from vibration are attained. The body of the cam drum is constructed for reception of two cam sets disposed one above the other, said sets being generally composed of interchangeable and transposable steel parts. The cam slopes are inclined at less than 30 in order to afford sure guiding and rolling action even at the highest speed. Short and long followers, including rollers, are acted uponby the respective earns, thelonger followers extending into register with both cams and the shorter followers extending into register with only the upper cams. The longer followers will thus receive, in one revolution, double actuation in relation to the shorter followers. Thus, there is obtained the combination of one to two motions per revolution, the latter being required for two-thread patterning. At the same time, it is immaterial whether at other parts of the drums circumference still further motions for a single or double lift per revolution are added.

In so far as only a normal operation, that is a single or plural operation, is to be undertaken, the lower cam parts are replaced 'by inactive parts of the same thickness. All the cam parts and their followers and the drum itself .work in a closed housing which is :filled with lubricant. The cam parts can be pinned on the drum in a plurality of places from the exterior of the housing, for example at spacing of 180, 90", 45 or 30, according to needs or requirements.

It is within the scope of the invention to let the driven parts, according to the in-built curves, simultaneously carry out any.desired motion as required in operation. Especially also is it possible by the mechanism to work more-thanpnce upon-a thread, that is by using a plurality of needles and thread guides to perform successively on the same thread their binding-in actions.

The invention also resides in mechanism for performing the method by which fibrous or other loose textile'materials can be added mechanically to the looped threadin such a manner that the additional material is incorporated in the thread by the looping action. At the same time, there is prevented disadvantageous dispersal or loss of the material, which mostly is quite valuable. The insertion of theadditional material can be effected by blast or by brushing, and by having the blast action or the brushing action variable,

a wide range. of patterning is available. By periodic displacement of the nozzle, through which The added material itself can be long or short .and preferably would be mixed.

Embodiments of the 'invention' will now be described by way of example with reference to the foundation threads, and Fig. "2 isa' corresponding plan.

Figs. 3 to 5 show a needle guide and castingoff device in plan and in front and'side elevation, respectively. v I

Figs. 6 and 7 show a loopedthread diagram: matically to an enlarged scale.

Figs. 8 and9 show diagrammatically, to an en'- larged scale, thread formations 'each consistingof' one binding thread and one foundation thread; and Figs. 10 to 1'7 show'diagrammati: cally the manufacture of such thread in eight the tension of the thread.

Fig. 33 shows a looped thread of which the single looped-in thread has been bound in under difierent tensions.

Figs. 34 to 42 show mechanism including a rotary structure for-the manufacture of looped threads with one or more foundation threads, and of these views:

Fig. 34 shows the mechanism, in elevation and part longitudinal section. Fig. 35 is a part elevation of the thread guide. Fig. 36 shows the mechanism in front sectional elevation. Figs.

' 3"! to 42 show developments and corresponding sections of guide cams arranged one upon the other on a drum constituting the rotary structure.-

Fig. 43 is a diagrammatic view of a looped thread provided by a continuous blast operation with additional fibers. Fig. 44 is a diagrammatic view of a looped thread provided by an interrupted blast operation with additional fibers. Fig. 45 shows mechanism for automatically supplyingthe additional fibers and other textile materials and for inserting the same into th looped thread.

In the first embodiment of the mechanism, now to be described, the needle is driven by a crank and the operation of the thread guides is effected by cam discs or other suitable pattern apparatus. 7

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, a bush '3 for the driving shaft 4 of the mechanism is located in a bearing l on the frame 2. At the free end of the driving shaft is located a crank 5-which may suitably be shaped as a disc, and on the crank Q pin 6 of the disc 5 a hardened connecting roller 1 is journalled. A vibration-absorbing resilient doubled wire stirrup 8 embraces at one end the connecting roller, the other end of the stirrup being pivotally connected to projections 9 on the needle support constituted by a rod It. The needle rod, which is supported inabearing l l of the frame 2, has a needleclamp l2 with;a

latch type.

Beyond the roller I, a'crank roller l5 isjour-" nalled on.the crank pin, and a; crank-follower H forming part. of a binding-thread guide 2l. en-

gages in the groove iii of the roller l5. The crank-follower l'l consists in this embodiment of a" bent wire yoke',- of=:which' the otherwise free end is held 'ri'gid by a clamp 18. The wire yoke engages in a clamping-nut I9 which is pivotally mounted on'a bolt fast'e'ned on the frame 2. At the frontend ofthe clamping nut there is located 5 I the binding-thread guide 2!, of which the forward end is bent substantially at rightangles and terminates in a thread eye. In this example, the thread eye opens downwardly. To provide for adjustability to suit the nature and strength 10 of the yarn in use'at any 'given time, the yoke" I'I'is adjustably fastened in the clamping nut I9 by means of screws 23, and the, binding-thread guide 2| is adjustably fastened by'a screw 24. The front part of the needle is guided in a slot of the needle bed 21 which has a sloped surfaeeZ-G, the needle bed being attached to the frame 2 by means of a holder 28. A casting-off member or stripper 29 is arranged at the front of the needle bed below the slot 25; The knitted/ thread formed by the needle is drawn between the said member and the needlebed over a drawing-off guide by means of a resiliently driven,

winding-on apparatus 3|. The winding-on apance with the properties of the thread being used by adjustment of the weight, or of the spring.

Accordingly, a greater or smaller-pull isexerted by the winding-0n apparatus. 011311116: loopedf thread produced by the needle. Similarly. the pressure of, the thread brake. 38 located between the spool, cop or the like and the thread guide can be "regulated. JJi

1 The pasting-off member 29 attachedi-ato the. needlebed 21 runs substantially horizontally atits part 40, is bent downwards at its part 4] over; the middle part of the needle and is directed up.-

wardly at its part 42. The parts 4| and 42 constitute an angle containing the groove 43. The part 42 bears with its edge M against theneedle bed 21 and the free end 45 of the castingeofi member is bent away from the needle-bed in order to simplify the introduction'of the thread at the beginning of the operation. Above the winding-on apparatus 3| for the thread there is an automatic thread guide control. On the free end'of a lever 41 which is pivotally mounted on the bolt 46 and which receives the necessary toand-fro movements from a control pro-jection 48-, there is .located an eye '49 through which the bound. looped thread coming from the drawing-off guide 33 is led. The control projection may be driven by any desired means (not shown) I such as eccentrics or the like. The winding-on is carried out'in the same way as in a spooling, spinning or twisting. machine and may, as in thesemachines, be controlled by a laying-on appar'atus for parallel winding or cross winding.

' The crank disc isprovided as a toothed wheel. 50 which meshes with a complementary toothed wheLQl. The toothed wheel 5| is connected to (0 a contrdiedrum 52,on the shaft 53 of which the pulleywheel35 for the thread winding-on appa- I ratus is mounted. The foundation threa d guides 55 and 56 are operated bya cam groove 54 in the -t drum 52, The guide 55, which is bent downward- 1i ly, is pivotally mounted on a bolt 51 and at its free 'end 58 it has a projection 59 which may suitably'be provided with a roller and which engages underneath in the cam groove 54 as follower thereto. The guide 56, which is bent upwardly, is arranged above the guide 55 and is pivotally mounted on a bolt-60, and at its free end 6| it has a guide projection 62 which may suitably be provided with a cam-following roller.

Spools 63, 64 and 55 are provided from which the binding thread a and also the foundation threads I) and c are led to the needle 14, which loopslthe threads alternately and the consequently produced looped thread d is led to the winding-on apparatus 31.

In the second example, illustrated by Figs. 34 to 42,-all the driving elements for the needle and thread guides are arranged as a rotary structure formed as a cam drum.

Referring now to Figs. 34 to 36, the driving shaft H of this construction of the mechanism is located in bearing bushes I2, 13 of a tightly closed housing 10, which would be filled with lubricant, for example grease. Outside one side of the housing there are pulleys 14 for the drive and outside the other side there are pulleys 15 for the jwinding-on apparatus (not shown). all of these pulleys being keyed'to the shaft H. A

hand wheel 16 is fixed to the free endof the shaft. A drum I1 is mounted on the shaft and on its circumference are arranged, two cam assemblies 18, 19, one above the other. The cams consist of single cam pieces 18a, 18b, and 19a, 19b which are made of steel and are attached 'to the orum body 11 by screws.

For different cam throws, different cams of corresponding slope are provided. For double,

movement, there are provided in place of pieces 80 underneath'the cams 18, 19, further cams as well as upper and lower straight pieces 8|. For example, if the cam drum is used for driving a needle and a thread guide, then the arrangement in Figs. 37 and 38 is used, this arrangement being such that the cam pieces 18 are fixedon lower members 80. If, on the other hand, different movements are to be obtained from the cam drum, and the latter is to serve, say, for driving thread guides of which one makes one movement during one rotation of the drum and the other makes two movementsduring the rotation of the drum, then the cam arrangement according to tions are either loosely attached to guide rods 84.

for the needle M or are located on guide rods 85 which serve to operate the thread guide 86. The latter are pivotally mounted on bolts 81 which are attached to a projection 88 on the forward end of which there is adjustably arranged, by means of screws 89, a needle bolster or guide 21. The free end of the thread guide has a longitudinal slit 90 in which a projection 9| on the guide rod 85 engages.

It is practicable to use a stationarily fixed thread guide, such as indicated by .dot-and-dash lines at 92, instead of the movable thread guide, such a fixed guide being adjustably attached to the housing 10 in suitable manner by means of screws 93 or the like.

Whether the thread guide be movable or fixed, the position of the thread eye 94 with reference to the needle hook must be such that the thread coming from the thread-delivery spool, cop, reel or the like is led at an inclination to the needle and is drawn off at a corresponding inclination at the other side of the needle as finished looped thread, so that the incoming thread always lies across in front of the receding needle hook and can therefore be caught without fail by the hook and without any further assisting means.

From the large number of thread formations which can be formed by. the above described mechanisms there is shown by way of example in Figs. 8 to 19, a looped thread consisting of one binding thread and one foundation thread and in Figs. to 31, a looped thread consisting of one binding thread and a plurality of foundation threads (in the present case two). n

Fig. 8 shows diagrammatically a binding thread a which is loope round a stronger foundation .thread b which constitutes a base or core.

Fig. 9 shows a looped thread which consists of a binding thread a and a foundation thread b of almost the same thickness.

Figs. 10 to 17 illustrate the production of a looped thread according to Figs. 8 and 9 in eight phases and show diagrammatically in plan the needle M which moves to-and-fro axially in the needle guide.

Fig. 10: The needle I4 is going backwards. The binding thread a lies on the needle and is caught by the receding hook 14'. The foundation thread b lies to the right of the needle.

Fig. 11: The binding thread is bound in by the retraction of the needle and the loop of the binding thread a already on the needle turns over the latch M" to the front. thread b is at the right hand side of the needle;

Fig. 12: By further retraction of the needle the loop formed thereon is cast-01f, the foundation thread being still at the right hand side of the needle. The displacement of the foundation thread commences.

Fig. 13: The foundation-thread guide has positioned the foundation thread b on the left hand side of the needle. needle and the needle advances.

Fig. 14: The needle advances further and the loop of the binding thread a has opened the latch M" of the needle so that the binding thread a can again enter the same. The foundation thread b is still to the left under the needle.

Fig. 15: The needle'goes back. The loop of the binding thread a. on the needle closes the latch M. A new loop is formed. The foundation thread b is still to the left under the needle.

Fig. 16: By further retraction of the needle the loop is cast-off, the foundation thread b being still to the left of the needle. The displacement of the foundation thread commences.

Fig. 17: The foundation thread b is again to the right of the'needle. The needle goes forward.

Fig. 18 shows in perspective the working position of the needle and threads according to Fig. 10. The needle M which moves to-and-fro in the slit of the needle guide 21 catches, by means of its hook M on its backward movement, the

The foundation The thread b is under the' binding thread a which comes from a spool and whichis led through the eye 22"of the binding thread guide 2|. The foundation threadb which comes from a. spool or the like is. in this position,

thread guide 55 and is entwined by thebinding thread'a. The looped textile thread produced in this way with a thread base is drawn off, over a casting-off device 29 arranged on the needle guide 21 and over 'a drawing-off guide 30', suit ably resiliently operating drawing-01f apparatus,

and wound up.

Fig. '19 shows the needle and needle guide in the working position according-to Fig. 14. Here the foundation thread guide 55 is to the left of the needle and leads the foundation thread h under the needle'along the casting-off device 29. According to the second example, the looped thread consists of one binding'thread and a plurality of foundation threads: and, more particularly, Fig. 20 shows two thick foundation threads b and c which are bound by a thin binding thread a. y

Fig. 21 shows the same form of looped thread i which, however, the foundation and binding threads have approximately equal thicknesses.

Figs. 22 and 29 show eight phases of the production of a looped thread in accordance with Figs. 20 and 21, the'needle I4 which moves axially to-and-fro in a needle guide being shown diagrammatically in plan.

Fig. 22: The needle 22 is being retracted. The binding thread rests on the needle and is caught by the receding hook I4. The foundation threadbis to the right of the needle. The

foundation thread (-is to the left and under the needle.

.Fig. 23: The binding thread is being bound in as the needle recedes; the loop of the binding thread which is already on the needle knocks forward the needle latch I4". The foundatiofi thread b is to the right r the needle. The foundation thread is to the left and under the needle. Both foundation threads b and c during the operations are always between the loop on the needle and the newly laid-in binding thread a, I I

.h Fig. 24: By a further retraction of the, needle the loop formed on the needle is cast-off;

the foundation threads 17 and c are still in the original position. The displacement of the foundation threads commences.

Fig. 25: The needle is moving forward, the displacement of the foundation threads being completed. The foundation thread b is to the left and under the needle. The'foundation thread .0 is'to the right and over the needle.

are still in their new positions.

22. The receding needle hook I4 catches on its Fig. 27: The needle is receding. The loop of the binding thread a. on the needle closes the latch I44"; anew link of the thread chain is being formed. The foundation threads b and c are still inthe same positions.

Fig. 28: By' a further retraction of the ne'edle the loop is cast-off. The foundation threads b and 0 change positions.

Fig. 29: The foundation threads have changed positions. The foundation thread 0 is to the left and under the needle. The needle is moving forward.

Fig. 30 shows in perspective the operative colocation of the needle and threads according to Fig.

retreat, thebinding thread a which is guided by the binding-thread guide 22. .The foundation thread I) supplied from a spool orthe likefis' led to the right hand side of the needle by the needle by the thread guide 55. [The foundation thread '0 supplied from 'a' spool or the like is drawn past a pressing-down guide 29 mounted on the needle guide 2'I andis taken up 'overa leading-off guide 30 by means of a suitableresiliently acting take-up device.

Fig. 31 shows the needle andthread guides inthe operative co-location according 'to Fig. 26. Here the foundation-thread guide 55 is to-the left of the needle and guides the foundation thread b to the needle-along the pressing-down guide 29. The foundation-thread'guide' 56 has its eye to the right hand side and above the needle and guides the foundation thread 'c to the right of the pressing-down guide at which both foundation threads I) and c are formedinto'loops by the binding thread a;

In the manufacture of a simple looped thread su'ch as is illustrated-for examplein Figs, 6 and'l, the threads supplied from the spools or such like supplying means pass through a thread brake 38. This consists, as Fig. 32 showslofa bear-1 ing block. I40 which is secured by means of screws I4I to a ledge I42 ofthe spool support I43 arranged above the loop producing mechin the bearing block by means of nuts I41; I48. On the laterally projecting part of the spindle mlis disposeda'helical spring I whish acts upon two brake discs I50, I5I'. Between "the brake disc I5I- and'the nut I48 there is arranged desirably a bush or a spacing ring I5Z'. The spring pressure can be altered by-two nuts I53 and I54 on the threaded part I of the spindle. the nuts being desirably provided with milled edges. 7

Above'the spool support, on whose spindles I55 spools I56 (or cops, or the like) are mounted, there is an apparatus I5I whose action is to:

regulate automatically the tension of the thread: This consists of a bearing I58 which is secured to a frame I59 located above the spool support.

A shaft I60 isjournalled so as to be freely turn- I able in the bearing I58 and a spool I62 is loose-r 1y secured to the shaft by meansof cones I6I. By means of their bores these cones are longitudinally displaceably arranged on the shaft I60 and somewhat slotted-at their front end which thus spreads elastically apart. By displacing the two cones relative to one another .on the shaft I60 and introducing them into the longitudinal bore of the spool I62 they are secured to the shaft I60 in a simple manner and can be instantly.

detached again. The shaft carries moreover a cam disc I63 which is donnected fastto, th

shaft by means of a screw I64. I Owingtoitsshape. the cam disc tends torotate like the spool I62 connected with it in such manner that the mass.v

of the disc I63 is located below, asindicated-in Fig. 32. A spring I65 on, the bearing I56 is adapted to bear laterally, against the cam ,I'h spool I62 on the shaft I60, actuated by the thread 9 as it is consumed on its being worked upon by,

the needle I4, is intermittentlylbraked' by the' spring I65 during each revolution. Howeven'as soon as the effective part ofthe cam disc I63 cam disc turns suddenly downwards due to its weight and so frees the thread g. The thread 9 .is conducted to the thread brake through the able about a pivot I22.

thread guide I6'I von the arm I66 of the bearing block I40 and from there is led to the threadguide 92. The threads e and'f supplied from spools I56 (or other supply means) are conveyed to the thread-guide 92 through thread-eyes I68- and a thread guide I I0 provided on an arm I69 of the bearing block.

Fig. 33 shows a looped thread composed of three threads and produced by means of the apparatus shown in Fig. 32, in which merely the thread 9 is tensioned, and irregularly tensioned, while the threads e and f are led to the needle under the tension effected by the sprin'gy thread guide "0. In consequence of the variable tension of the thread g caused by the cam disc I63 the thread 9 is temporarily tightened and takes the threads'e and 1 along which thus form wider irregular loops.

Mechanism for producing looped threads with bound-in added fiber or such like material is illustrated by Fig. 45. As shown, the mechanism includes a support 2 on a frame: I00 for the needle-operating means, the crank 5 of which, suitably a disc, carries a crank-pin 6 to which is connected a wire stirrup 8 which absorbs any vibration in the needle drive. The forward end of the wire stirrup engages a coupling pin 9 of the needle rod I0 to whose front end the latch needle I4 is releasably secured, said rod being axially movable in the bearing II of the support 2. At the forward side of the support 2 is fixed a needle guide 21 to which is applied a resilient pressingdown guide 29. Underneath this guide 29 is a lo- 'cated a leading-off guide 30 which guides the a spool 32 on therotatable shaft 33, a pulley 34- on which is connected by means of a belt 36 with a pulley I02 mounted on the driving shaft IOI.

The crank 5 on the shaft I has a pulley I 03 which is connected by a belt I04 with a pulley I05 on the crank shaft I.

The frame I00 has a bracket IN on whose arm I08 a fiber containing hopper I09 is releasably secured. In the container I09 a pressure cover IIO is arranged which by the action of its weight feeds the fibers to a conveyer III. This conveyer consists of two conveyer brushes I I3 co-operating with strippers II2, composed of counter brushes or strips. The parts II2, II3 'are arranged in a housing and receive' their drive through a belt II4, pulleys H5 and a belt II6 from a pulley II! on the crank shaft I.

The conveyer I II delivers to a receiving funnel I I9 which is turnable about an axis H6 and whose inclination can be adjusted through a rod I20 and a rod I 2I by an adjusting lever I23 turn- The lever I23 can be fixed by stops I24 in the position which it for the time being occupies. The forward end I25 of the funnel H9 is disposed at a suitable inclination and it delivers into a guiding funnel I26 which is turnable about a pivot I28 on a lug I21 fixed to the bracket I01 of the frame and is fixed but adjustably supported in the elongated slot I29. The mouth I 30 of the guiding funnel I26 is arranged above the needle I4 in such a way that the fibers in the trough are guided with certainty means of the binding thread a. The thread 0 isin this example unwound from a reel I3I which bracket I01, but instead of the reel any other suitable supply means can be used, for example cops or bobbins.

The thread a supplied from the reel BI is led past a stationarily fixed thread guide 22 to the needle I4 where' the fibrous material issuing from the guiding trough I26 is bound-in with thethread a. Fibers which drop past are collected by a'r'eceiver I33 arranged under the needle and can, in consequence, be used again. Conveniently, the receiver can be provided with a waste pipe, suction pipe, orthe like (not shown) by means of which the unused fibrous material'is conveyed to a collecting container from which it can later be resupplied to the container I09.

At a convenient part of the frame I00, in this example on the arm I08, a compressor I34 is arranged which supplies compressed air through a conduit I35 to a nozzle I31 turnable about an axis I36. The conduit I35 includes a valve I38 (or a throttle or other regulator) which can be operated by hand through the intermediary of a lever I39. The lever I39 could however be automatically operated by means of suitable controlling mechanism (such as an eccentric or cam, not shown) connected by means of suitable rods (not shown) so that an alternate opening and closing of the valve in a regular or irregular manner may be obtained as desired.

Intermittent interruption could additionally or alternatively be attained by intermittent opera-- tion of the brushes I I2, I I3 or by varying the disposition of the funnel I I9.

Fig. 43 shows a looped thread manufactured by this mechanism in which the fibers have been delivered uniformly.

Fig. 44 shows a looped thread which has resulted from an intermittent interruption of the fiber-supply. V a

I claim: I

1. A method of producing looped textile thread consisting in leading-in a binding thread from a source of supply, guiding said thread for the performance thereon of a looping ,action, leading-in also a foundation thread, forming the binding thread into a chain of loops, guiding said foundation thread, to-and-fro sidewise into engagement with the binding thread, said binding thread being looped so that the foundation thread extends through the loops, withdrawing the finished looped thread which incorporates said binding and foundation threads and winding-up said looped thread.

2. A method according to claim 1, in which a plurality of foundation threads are led-in and are guided to-and-fro sidewise so that one foundation thread alternates in relation to another.

3. A method of producing looped textile thread.

looped thread.

4. Mechanism for producing looped textile thread comprising a loop-forming needle, means for reciprocating said needle, means for guiding binding thread from a source of supply to said needle for formation thereby into a single looped thread, at least one guide for leading a foundation thread to the-binding thread where acted upon by said needle, means for actuating said guide to-and-fro sidewise to cause the foundation thread to extend through loops formed in the binding thread, a patterning device for controlling the'actuation of said guide, and means for withdrawing the finished looped thread and winding it up.

- 5. Mechanism for producing looped textile thread comprising a loop-forming needle, movable guide means-for leading thread from a. source ing also means for moving thebinding-thread guiding means up and down in relation; to the needles path of reciprocatory motion, the timing of the movement of said guiding means being such that the binding-thread is made to engage said needle from above.

7. Mechanism according to claim 4, in which the needle has a hook and the means for guiding binding thread consists of a statio'narily fixed guide arranged to lead said thread. at an inclination across the path of said hook for engagement thereby. s I e 8. Mechanism according to claim 4, in which the binding-thread guiding meansiconsists of a pivotally mounted guide, said mechanism com-. prising also a crank, means for rotating said crank, and a crank-follower consisting of a yoke slidably engagingysaid crank, said follower being connected to said guide to oscillate it as the crank rotates. I

9. Mechanism according to claim 4, in which there are a plurality of foundation-thread guides each pivotally mounted and each provided with a thread-guiding eyelet, and in which said guides are pivoted to-and-fro by their actuating means to displace the respective eyelets from left to right and from right to left above the path of the needle's reciprocatory motion.

l0. Mechanism according to claim 4, in which there are a plurality of foundation-thread guides respectively made as levers, cam-followers on said levers, thread-guiding eyelets on said levers, a control drum provided with cams engaged by said cam-followers, and means for rotating said drum to constrain the levers to move to-andfro and displace their eyelets from left to right and ,from right to left above the path of the needle's reciprocatory motion.

ll. Mechanism according to claim 4, in which the means for reciprocating the needle comprise a rotary driver, a reciprocably mounted needle .support, and a vibration-absorbing resilient member connecting said driver and said support.-

l2. Mechanism according to claim 4, in which the' means for reciprocating the needle comprise a balanced crank, means for rotatingsaid crank, a reciprocably mounted needle support, a coupling pin on said support, and a vibration-absorbing wire stirrup pivotally connected to said crank and to said pin. a

l3. Mechanism according to claim 4, in which the means for reciprocating the needle comprise a rotary driver, said driver including a crank roller, a reciprocable needle support, projections extending oppositely from said support and-a double lever pivotally attached at one end to said roller and at the other; end to said prov jections.

14. Mechanism according the means for reciprocating the needle include a rotary driver and the patterning device is s. rotatable control drum, and in which lntermeshing gear-wheels are provided on said driver and on said drum respectively.

15. Mechanism according to claim 5, in which the rotatably mounted cam-bearing structure is provided with two sets of cam parts, these sets being arrangeable in superimposed relationship, and in which the cam-followers on the needle and guide means are made of diflferent lengths corresponding to the height on said structure of the cam parts that the respective followers engage.

16.- Mechanism according to claim 5, compris-. ing also a lubricant container made as a closed housing, the cam-bearing structure and the cam followers being supported to work in said housing 17. Mechanism according to claim 5, in which the means for driving the cam bearing structure includes a rotary driving shaft to which said structure is secured, said mechanism comprising also drive-receiving gear coupled to said shaft and drive-transmitting gear coupling said shaft to the means for withdrawing'and windin -up the looped thread.

l8. Mechanism according to claim 4, in which a binding thread and a plurality of foundation threads are controlled by a pattern mechanism.

to claim 4, in which xsrmraanzsml'co 

